Electronic musical instrument with automatic performance device

Abstract

A keyboard electronic musical instrument comprises a note information processing device capable of processing note information required for automatic arpeggio and automatic bass performances. This note information processing device includes a generation circuit for generating a plurality of note information representing a plurality of notes to be sounded in relation to the key depression, a selection circuit for sequentially selecting a note information designating a note to be sounded from among the plurality of note information from the generation circuit in accordance with a predetermined priority order; an output circuit for delivering out the note information selected by the selection circuit, the selection at each sequence being conducted dependent on the selection at the preceding sequence. The selection circuit includes a first selector which selects note information of higher (or lower) notes than the note information outputted at the preceding sequence and a second selector which selects note information of the lowest (or highest) one from among the information selected by the first selector. The note information processing device is used commonly for the automatic arpeggio performance and the automatic bass performance in a time division manner.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electronic musical instrument comprising: keys;   note information generation means for generating upon depression of the keys a plurality of note information representative of notes to be sounded in relation to the key depression;   selection means for selecting a note information representative of a note to be sounded from among said plurality of information from the note information generation means in accordance with a predetermined priority order;   output means for storing and delivering out the note information selected by said selection means; and   a tone producing means for producing each tone designated by the note information delivered out from said output means,   said selection means operating repetitively to select successive notes to be sounded and including masking type priority selection logic interconnected to said output means for selecting from said plurality of information the note information which is next in said predetermined priority order with respect to the note information which was stored in and delivered out from said output means at the preceding repetitive operation of said selection means.   
     
     
       2. An electronic musical instrument as defined in claim 1 wherein said selection means comprises: a first circuit for inhibiting data which are of higher (or lower) order than an order designated by the note information stored in said output means and selecting the rest of data among a plurality of data to be selected which are arranged in a predetermined order; and   a second circuit for inhibiting data of lower (or higher) order and selecting the rest of data among the data selected by said first circuit;   data of desired intermediate order being thereby selected.   
     
     
       3. An electronic musical instrument as defined in claim 2 wherein said second circuit preferentially selects single data which is of the highest (or lowest) order among the data selected by said first circuit. 
     
     
       4. An electronic musical instrument as defined in claim 3 wherein said note information generation means generate information of a plurality of tones which are in a predetermined note interval relation to a root note selected by key depression. 
     
     
       5. An electronic musical instrument comprising: keys;   note information generation means for generating information of a plurality of notes which are in predetermined note interval relations to a root note selected by depression of said keys; and   selection means for selecting information of a desired note among the information of the plurality of notes generated by said note information generation means at desired time intervals;   tones corresponding to the selected information being thereby produced; and wherein   said note information generation means stores data representing a plurality of note intervals corresponding to a desired type of chord at predetermined memory positions in a shift register in order of the note intervals and includes means for providing the note information by shifting the respective data until the stored prime interval indicative datum for said chord type is situated at a certain memory position corresponding to said selected root note.   
     
     
       6. An electronic musical instrument comprising: keys;   processing means for carrying out one or more processes selected from the group including chord detection, root tone detection and single-tone selection according to note information specified by depression of said keys, and in response to control information; and   control means for supplying to said processing means control information required for carrying out a plurality of automatic performances such as an automatic bass chord performance and an automatic arpeggio performance, in a time division manner, with respect to each function of said automatic performances,   processing for said plurality of automatic performances being thereby effected in a time division manner in said processing means.   
     
     
       7. In an electronic musical instrument, an arpeggio production system comprising: a data register having a separate storage position corresponding to each note name,   chord data entry means for entering into said data register subtone degree data indicative of the prime and intervals of a chord, the prime-indicative datum being entered in the storage position corresponding to the note name of the chord root,   an "arpeggio" register also having a separate storage position corresponding to each note name and storing a single signal in the storage position corresponding to the note name of the last produced arpeggio tone, and   masking type priority selection means, cooperating with said data register and said "arpeggio" register, for comparing the contents of said data register and said "arpeggio" register and for selecting the interval indicative datum in said data register which is next in preselected order with respect to the note name of said last produced arpeggio tone, said selected datum being usable to control production of the next arpeggio tone.   
     
     
       8. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 7, said instrument having a keyboard, and wherein said chord data entry means comprises: a "chord" register having a separate storage position corresponding to each note name, and root entry means, responsive to depression of at least one key, for entering into one position of said "chord" register a signal indicative of a chord root,   subtone data forming logic for entering said subtone degree data into said data register with said prime-indicative datum in an arbitrary position, and   controlled circulation means, cooperating with said data register and said "chord" register, for circulating said subtone degree data in said data register and for terminating said circulation when the storage position of said prime-indicative datum coincides in note name with said one position in said "chord" register containing said chord root indicative signal.   
     
     
       9. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 8, said instrument also including an automatic bass chord production device, certain components of said arpeggio production system including said "chord" register and said root entry means being time chared with said automatic bass chord production device, said root entry means functioning during operation of said automatic bass chord production device so that said entered chord root indicative signal indicates the root note used for automatic bass chord production. 
     
     
       10. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 8 wherein each of said arpeggio production system and said automatic bass chord production device includes separate state control logic for separately programmatically controlling said certain time shared components. 
     
     
       11. In an electronic musical instrument, an automatic bass chord performance device comprising: a data register having a separate storage position corresponding to each note name,   means for entering data into said data register in those storage positions corresponding to the names of selected notes,   chord detect logic means for circulating said entered data in said data register and for terminating said circulation upon detection of a chord type represented by said circulated data with the prime of said chord at a specified position in said data register,   shifting means for shifting the data in said data register without recirculation until the total number of positions said data was circulated and shifted corresponds to the number of storage positions in said data register, whereby the root of said chord is represented by the position of the stored datum nearest one extremity of said data register, and   priority gating means for extracting said root indicative datum from said data register.   
     
     
       12. In a keyboard electronic musical instrument, the improvement for time shared implementation of plural automatic performance devices comprising: note information processing device means for receiving data representing depressed keys and for performing on said data one or more functions selected from the group including chord type detection, chord root note detection, highest or lowest played note detection, chord formation using a single played note as a root, and sequential note selection,   at least two automatic performance devices each including a state counter and an associated information generation logic means, responsive to the contents of the associated state counter, for programmatically controlling said note information process device means to perform a sequence of selected functions to accomplish an automatic performance, and enabling means, interconnecting said at least two automatic performance devices for inhibiting all other such devices while the state counter and logic of any one device is controlling said note information processing device.   
     
     
       13. A keyboard electronic musical instrument according to claim 12 wherein one of said devices is an automatic arpeggio performance device, said note information processing device including an "arpeggio" register means for storing a signal designating the arpeggio tone last produced, said instrument further comprising: arpeggio timing control means for providing an arpeggio timing signal each time that a new arpeggio tone is to be produced,   said enabling means being connected to said arpeggio timing control means so as to enable said automatic arpeggio performance device as soon after occurrence of each arpeggio timing signal as said arpeggio performance device is no longer inhibited by operation of another automatic performance device.   
     
     
       14. In an electronic musical instrument in which notes are represented by signals on a set of note-name corresponding lines, a first priority selection circuit means, having a data input to which an input set of note-name corresponding lines is connected, having an output to which an output set of note-name corresponding lines is connected, and having a priority position control input to which a priority position defining control signal is applied, for gating to said output only those signals present on lines of said input set having an order in a specified relationship with respect to the priority position defined by said control signal, and   control means for providing to said control input a programmatically changing control signal which at different times defines different priority positions.   
     
     
       15. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 14 wherein, in said first priority selection circuit means, said specified relationship is selectable to be either of higher or lower order than said defined priority position, together with; a second priority selection circuit means, connectable in circuit with said input or said output set of note-name corresponding lines, for gating through only the signal of selectably highest or lowest priority order, and wherein;   said control means also provides order establishing control signals to cause said first priority selection circuit means to pass signals only of a selected one of higher or lower order relationship with respect to said priority position and to cause said second priority selection circuit means to pass only the other respectively lowest or highest order signal, said first and second priority selection circuit means thereby cooperating to select out a signal on a single note-name corresponding line.   
     
     
       16. An electronic musical instrument according to claim 15 and utilized in an automatic arpeggio tone production system, said control means providing control signals which sequentially define priority positions corresponding to sequentially produced arpeggio tones, whereby said first and second priority selection circuit means programmatically select out each arpeggio tone next to be produced in accordance with the previously produced tone.